Govt relaxes foreign buyer ban for golden visa holders
Plus: Event: ‘I Wish I Knew’ With Lara Henderson from PURE MAMA
Happy Tuesday!
Kia ora Caffeinators,
Spring has officially sprung and why not celebrate with a brand new Daily Shot. Good mix this morning of big moves by Government, the latest event from us here at Caffeine and some startup success to celebrate not for how much money they’ve made but for what it’s founder has given away.
And, if you read to the end, we get to talk about a murder. How’s that for some engagement bait from me.
Here’s what’s brewing in your Daily Shot:
NZ eases foreign buyer ban for Golden Visa holders
Event: ‘I Wish I Knew’ With Lara Henderson from PURE MAMA
Kiwi company GravityLab ranks top in the world for tech impact as founder gives 95% to charity
SaaS Go-To-Market Report insights
As always, thank you to everyone who has upgraded to a paid subscription or simply recommended Caffeine to friends and whānau. We couldn’t do any of this without you.
Finn and the CAFFEINE team
NZ eases foreign buyer ban for Golden Visa holders: We’d heard rumours of this for a while but yesterday we got the confirmation, Govt will allow investors on the AIP pathway to purchase homes here - provided they’re worth $5m plus. It does seem like a logical move because it’s a hard sell to tell the global 1% that they should move their lives and money here but they can’t buy a house.
It also addresses one of the previous issues with the AIP category, that they could liquidate their assets after four years and pick up sticks but that’s harder to do when you have a home. They can only buy/build one home and farm land and other sensitive land is still off limits so the broader ban is very much still in force. Our friends over at Icehouse Ventures welcomed the move.
“The biggest value add for these AIP gives our startups is not the capital, but the access to networks and experience they bring with them. To extract this value, we need these investors here as much as they can, working alongside the companies they’re investing in. Allowing them to own a home gives them another reason to do just that, “ said Robbie Paul, Icehouse Ventures CEO.
Event: ‘I Wish I Knew’ With Lara Henderson from PURE MAMA: Straight off the back of our sold out event tonight in Auckland, Caffeine is stoked to announce the next in our ‘I Wish I Knew’ series, proudly powered by +MORE, Chartered Accountants + Business Advisors.
Building a company isn’t a single event – it’s a long game. One with messy middles, unexpected pivots, and the odd “what now?” at 2am.
Join us for our ‘I Wish I Knew’ series, featuring raw and real conversations with successful Kiwi founders who’ve taken the hits, made the calls, and kept showing up. This is about the stuff they wish they knew earlier – the kind of lessons that only come from doing the work (and a few things going sideways).
This event is for founders, early-stage teams and leaders who are serious about growing. We screen all registrations to make sure appropriate criteria is met.
More on our speaker:
When Lara and her sister launched PURE MAMA, growth didn’t come from one big break. It was the accumulation of small plays, sampling, hustling and testing channels, that laid the foundations. Those moves mattered, but over time, they learned that to really scale, the brand needed bigger, more strategic distribution partnerships.
From the start, PURE MAMA was bootstrapped. Both sisters went all in, selling properties, taking family loans, and putting everything they had safeguarded on the line. The sacrifices were significant, but they believed in the vision, and failure was never an option.
The reality of scaling a consumer brand is that proof of concept comes at a cost. Growth doesn’t come from quick wins or chasing trends. It’s built on distribution channels that can stand the test of time and partnerships that deliver both credibility and reach.
For PURE MAMA, that pivotal partnership was MECCA. Landing on their shelves provided immediate authority and opened doors internationally. Today, the vision for PURE MAMA is clear. This is not a trend-driven brand. The focus is on building a heritage business that can compete alongside global beauty giants. That means thinking big, forever hustling, and protecting brand credibility at every step.
The “I Wish I Knew” lesson Lara shares is simple: bet on yourself. Be prepared to sacrifice and think long term. And if you want to win on the global stage, aim straight for the top.
Remember, this event is FREE for Caffeinators - make sure you use CAFFEINEFRIENDS promo code at checkout and feel free to invite a friend.
Date and time
Tue, 28 Oct 2025 5:15 PM - 7:00 PM NZDT
Location
+MORE offices, Mount Maunganui
155 Maunganui Road Tauranga, Bay of Plenty Region 3116
Kiwi company GravityLab ranks top in the world for tech impact as founder gives 95% to charity: A lot of businesses set out to do good but more as a happy by-product of being successful. It’s great to see a founder who makes doing good the primary success metric and then get recognised for it. New Zealand-based automation consultancy GravityLab has been ranked first in the world in its B Corp category, a rare distinction that places the Kiwi company ahead of global tech giants in social and environmental performance. To date, the business has funded the rescue of 500+ children from human trafficking and is challenging Kiwi businesses to think differently about ‘impact’.
The B Corp framework evaluates governance, environmental responsibility, employee wellbeing and supply chain ethics. Following its 2025 B Corp recertification, GravityLab was awarded: 1st in New Zealand, 2nd in Australia and significantly - 1st globally in ‘Technology-Based Support Services and Computer Programming Services’.
“Too many companies are still asking how they can ‘justify’ or afford doing good. We have flipped the question. What happens when you build a company where doing good is the reason it exists?” says CEO and founder Daniel Howell
GravityLab develops workflow automation systems for logistics companies, law firms, government agencies and listed businesses, but unlike typical tech consultancies, the company is 95% owned by a charitable trust and its profits go directly toward funding frontline anti-trafficking work in South-East Asia. To date, that work has contributed to the rescue of over 500 children.
Death at Burning Man being investigated as a homicide: If you listen closely, you can hear the sound of Netflix producers scrambling to greenlight this true crime series. The mysterious death of a man at this year’s Burning Man festival, long a mecca for the more spiritual end of Silicon Valley, is now being investigated a homicide. The alleged victim was found in a pool of blood just as the festivals iconic effigy began to burn. The intro essentially writes itself. Check out more actual reporting on the case from BBC.
That’s it for today, thanks for reading. Want to get in touch with a news tip, bit of feedback or just to chat? Email hello@caffeinedaily.co